Submit Windows Phone 7.5 Apps today; Update 7.0 Apps in October

Windows Phone 7.5 devices are now available in Japan and Russia, and with several new phones announced this month, the rate of apps submitted that take advantage of new Windows Phone features (like fast app switching and multiple live tiles) is steadily increasing. Many of you are updating existing apps, so let me take a minute to follow up on my post from mid-August, “What happens when I publish a Windows Phone ‘Mango’ application update?”

Last month I noted that once you publish the 7.5 version of your application, you will no longer be able to modify the existing 7.0 version. I also acknowledged that some you might find this limiting, as several of you have since confirmed. We heard you, and are happy to report today that by the end of October we will enable functionality in App Hub that will allow you to publish updates to both the 7.0 and 7.5 versions of your apps. Knowing that on average people update their apps every three to four months, this October timeframe provides assurance that you that you can submit 7.5 apps today and still have access to your 7.0 app well before the next update is required. There’s no need to wait!

Again, I also recommended that you identify the Windows Phone 7.5 functionally of your app in both your app description and (if needed) in the screenshots. To make this easier for you and your customers, we have designed and are making available today screenshots and overlay graphics that you can add to your own screenshots to identify your app as optimized for Windows Phone 7.5 (examples below). These are the only screenshot text overlays that will pass certification. These new standard artwork resources are now available here and will be accessible via App Hub shortly.

Now is the time to submit your Windows Phone 7.5 enhanced app if you want to be there when customers take their first big bite out of Mango.

Thanks for your ongoing feedback to help us build a better experience and greater opportunity for you.